The Mission Post
by Teh Edo
Summary: Team 10, 8, and 7 are sent to live with Team Gai, and the Sand siblings for a few months, in an outpost built by Konoha to provide ninjas to more isolated towns. Will they all get along? Not likely. Boy-on-boy eventually, but only a little.
1. Arrival

**Arrivals**

None of them were entirely sure how this had happened. It was a part of a number of missions, they knew, as all of them had different missions to attend to, but there wasn't a single one of them that could put a finger on why they had ended up living with each other in this large house. They were to be operating from this place for a few months. That's all they'd been told.  
Kiba and his squad had arrived just today. They were the last to get there. They knew all the other teams that they knew from Konoha would be there, but all three of them were surprised to see the three siblings from Suna sitting around on the grass a short walk from the front path, all dressed in more casual clothing than usual. Though, Kankurou was still wearing that face paint of his.  
"I'm starting to think they're just trying to get us out of the way," Kiba grumbled, watching the siblings as they walked by them. The three foreigners paid no attention to the new arrivals.  
"There's a higher number of jobs being requested from the towns in this area," Shino replied quietly, "They're most likely just seeing how having a post here will work out."  
"And what if something big gets thrown at us? There's no jonins here, only the woman who gives us our missions."  
"There's never been a serious problem here. That's probably why they chose this place to test the idea."  
"And this is all just a theory, of course?"  
"Of course."  
Kiba rolled his eyes, and stepped through the open doors of the entranceway. There was a desk, with a single woman behind it, reading through paper after paper. She looked up at them, cocking a dark eyebrow, and lowering her reading glasses slightly. "Names?"  
"Kiba Inuzuka, Shino Aburame, and Hinata Hyuuga."  
"You're twenty three minutes late for your check in."  
"Check in…?" Kiba looked irritated again, reaching up to move Akamaru from his head, to the ground.  
The woman raised both eyebrows this time, "Yes. We have to make sure everyone has arrived, is marked as being here, and has signed the papers, before we can start accepting and distributing missions according to-"  
"Fine, fine. Just…give us the paper work. My feet are killing me."

After all the paperwork was filled out, signed, and dated, they went through the doors on the other side of the room, only to find themselves outside again. They were at one end of a long courtyard, with the building around them like the walls of a box. For the most part, it was only two stories, but directly across from them, it was five stories tall, and was topped by a steep, curved roof. Kiba squinted and put a hand over his eyes as he peered up at the highest balcony."What's up there?"  
"We've seen as much as you have, Kiba. But I suspect that's where the messenger birds are kept.""What the hell do they need all that for?" Kiba gestured to the taller part of the building, "We're the only ones here, and that woman said all the rooms were on second floor. Can you believe they separated the boys from the girls? Do they really not trust us that much?"  
"Kiba. Think about what you know about yourself. Would _you_ trust you?"  
Kiba glared and opened his mouth to say something, but Hinata spoke up nervously, "Maybe we should all go find our rooms…it was a long walk."  
"Yeah, yeah…"

Hours later, Kiba was wandering the grounds, Akamaru tucked into his jacket, still sleeping. They'd both gone down for a nap, and stayed asleep for a long time. It was dark out now, and everyone else seemed to be asleep. He rubbed at his arms as the night's chill started to hit him. He looked up at the windows as he walked past them. All the lights were out, except for one on the left hand side. The curtains were open, as was the window, and Kiba narrowed his eyes to make out the small figure huddled on the window seat. It took him a minute, but his eyes adjusted, and he made out the red-brown hair, and tired eyes of Gaara, who paid Kiba no mind. Kiba had a feeling the boy hadn't even noticed him, too busy staring at the sliver of moon. He watched for a moment longer, then started to feel uneasy, so he heading to the double doors at the north end of the courtyard.  
With a light grunt, he pushed one door open, and looked around the dark and empty entrance room. He stood there for a minute, not sure whether he should just leave again. There was nothing in here, really…and it was a little creepy. But he eyed a piece of paper on the desk that was separate from the rest, and curiously went over, picking it up.  
"Huh…Guess this is everyone that's here." He frowned, and shook his head, feeling awkward for having been talking to himself. He was a little uncomfortable he'd be honest.  
He read over the list, frowning slightly, lifting the paper to use what little light there was to read. Teams Ten, Seven, and of course Eight, were all there, along with the three from Suna, and Rock Lee's team. And that was all. Kiba frowned, and shook his head.  
"This doesn't make any sense."  
"It does, if you really think about it."  
Kiba jumped horribly and spun around to find Gaara in the doorway, arms crossed as usual, and head tilted a little to the side as he watched Kiba. "You were all in the same class together, or are friends, and it was easier for them to do this, than trying to get people who hadn't spent any time together to live and work in the same place."  
"So…why are you and your brother and sister here?"  
Gaara paused for a moment, seeming to be picking his words carefully, "It was Temari's idea. She said it would help with the bond between our villages. It would also be a learning experience, and things like that. I liked the idea, but Kankurou wasn't fond of leaving Suna for such a long time. The older they are, I guess, the harder they are to move."  
"That usually only applies to, y'know…seniors."  
"Then he's just very stubborn."  
Kiba couldn't, for the life of him, figure out why he was keeping such an odd conversation going, when he really just wanted to go back to his room, after that scare.  
"Doesn't he like it here?"  
"Not really. He thinks it's too humid. And he has a problem living with so many people."  
"Tell him to suck it up…"  
Kiba moved over to Gaara, and edged around him, to head out the door. Gaara turned with him, frowning slightly.  
"Why are you up, Inuzuka?"  
"Um…none of your business?" Kiba said, though he sounded more nervous than sarcastic.  
"I still make you uncomfortable, don't I?"  
Kiba froze, and suddenly felt a little guilty. Gaara was on their side now… "I won't lie, it's hard to forget the kind of things you did."  
"Don't explain." Gaara said, and stepped outside, before heading up the stairs to the men's rooms at a pace that was painfully slow for Kiba, who felt too awkward to go anywhere before the other boy had disappeared from view. Kiba watched the top of the stairs, eyebrows high and mouth set in a hard line. Akamaru poked his head out, and licked at Kiba's chin, whining softly.  
"I guess it's a sensitive subject," Kiba muttered to him, rubbing the dogs chin, "These are gonna be some really long months."  
He took another quick look around, and as a breeze hit him, shivered as he too went up the stairs. He crept down the long hall, not wanting to wake anyone. He'd already counted how many doors there were along the right side, twelve bedrooms, and two bathrooms, one on each end of the hall. All the rooms faced the courtyard; there was none on the left side of the hall. He counted the doors that he passed, until he reached the fifth one, and he pushed it open, then quickly shut and locked it, letting out a slow breath.  
He looked around, frowning at his room. It was so bland. He hadn't decorated it yet. It was so unfriendly, not like his messy, but bright and familiar room at home. He couldn't sleep here.  
Flicking the light on, he moved to his large bag, pulling out some of the things he'd been able to bring with him. He smiled, and started to put them up, and set them around his room, as Akamaru curled up on his pillow. He continued to make his room feel more comfortable for a few more hours, before he passed out beside Akamaru, still clothed, not even bothering to remove his shoes before he fell asleep.

The next morning, they'd all gathered in the courtyard. Many of them hadn't seen the others arrive, having gone to their rooms right away. Most of them were excited to see the others, and for the most part, seemed eager for this experience to start. It meant more independence for them, but for Kiba, who was very close to his family, it was harder to accept that he'd be away from them. But he was smiling, and enjoying the company of all his friends. It wasn't often that they were all in the same place.  
Sakura, who knew more about the situation than the rest of them, thanks to her closeness with Tsunade, was the one who was giving them a quick run down.  
"We're going to have a week to get settled, then they're going to start giving us missions. But that's not what matters right now. Because it's just us here, we're going to have to cook and clean for ourselves." She smiled, seeming pleased by this, "I know we're all capable of it, but it's…it's a big house. I'm going to write up a job chart for the next week. If there's anything you want to do, you can-"  
"I'm cooking."  
Kankurou had raised his hand a little, but the way he spoke left little room for argument.  
"Well…we can all…"  
"No. I'm not having any of you cooking my food. I'm not gonna spend months eating instant ramen, and processed food." He lifted his hands, and started counting things off on his fingers, "I want the vegetables grown here. No spinach, God help me if I find spinach. Local meat. No turkeys unless it's a special occasion, because they're hard as hell to cook. And I don't want to see any junk food in the kitchen. I'll burn it."  
"Anything else, sir?" Kiba grumbled, crossing his arms. He was tired and grumpy after getting so little sleep last night.  
Kankurou cocked an eyebrow, and smirked, "I'm sorry, I won't eat anything I can get my hands on. I like to eat healthy."  
"Looks like you just like to eat," Kiba said, patting his stomach, and grinning.  
Kankurou didn't look irritated, and that pleased Kiba. The two of them had got along better after Kankurou saved Kiba. Kiba's mood seemed to lift after the banter, and Sakura continued her spiel.  
"Ok, Kankurou, if you want to cook three meals for everyone, every day, then go ahead," she said, frowning, "Anything else anyone wants?"  
"I'll garden," Temari said, a little less demanding than her younger brother, "I'll do other things, but I'll take care of that garden His Highness wants." She said, jabbing a finger in Kankurou's direction. "Because God only knows he can't do it himself."  
"I could."  
"You somehow managed to kill a potted cactus. I'm not letting you near anything green unless I want some kind of plant genocide."  
"Ok, Kankurou's cooking, Temari's growing a garden, is that all?"  
Everyone started talking at once, listing off jobs that they wanted to do. Kiba shrunk away from the sudden noise, smiling awkwardly when people addressed him. He hoped their excitement would wear off, because it was making him feel like a downer that he wasn't enjoying himself.  
Sakura just watched them all with a frustrated expression, as people started getting more absurd with their job ideas.  
"Having a trainer could be useful to everyone!"  
"Lee, we're going to want to RELAX for this week. How often do we get a week off?"  
"What about a guard? Incase someone tries to attack us?"  
"There's jutsu set up around the property that will alert us of anyone that trespasses."  
"I'll decorate the house!"  
"I'll walk the dog!"  
"Hey! He's MY dog!"  
"None of this has anything to do with looking after the place! Listen, never mind, I'll make a chart, and people can sign up for something when it's up, ok? Don't worry about it now." Sakura sighed, shaking her head, "We need to go shopping. And there's a LOT that we need to get, so we're all going. Especially if Kankurou is so picky about food," she smirked, putting her hands on her hips.  
"You won't be complaining when you eat it," Kankurou huffed, pouting in an annoyed way, "But you're right, I don't want any of you picking the wrong thing."  
"I think _I_ know more about cooking than you," Sakura said coldly, eyes narrowing.  
"Uh…yeah, I don't think so."  
Before an argument could break out, Temari stepped in, and got everyone in gear, to go get ready. Kiba was amused by the tension that had so quickly built up between Sakura and Kankurou. He could tell from Sakura's frown, and stiff posture that she had fully expected to be the 'mother' or 'in charge' figure. Kankurou seemed to have similar ideas, and was more forceful about it. Kiba frowned, then laughed out loud at the mental image he got of Kankurou in an apron, taking care of everyone.  
He got odd looks from them, so he looked down and hurried off to get ready to leave.

Food shopping took five hours too long. It was afternoon before they got back, all carting bags of food, and for some people, whatever other things they felt that they'd need. Gaara bought far too many books, Naruto bought packets upon packets of ramen, Ino and Sakura bought clothing. And just when they'd thought they were done, someone had made the suggestion that they have a party to celebrate their living together, so they had to buy even more food, and even more things, mainly decorations.  
"Ok, I think the kitchen is this way," Sakura said, leading the way, and casting a smug look at Kankurou as she moved passed him. They went through a large doorway, into a dining room with a very long table, made to fit all of them. The room was too big for the table.  
"There's only one table because there's not many of us," Sakura said matter-of-factly, leading them across the room, to the door in the far left corner. She opened it, and let out a surprised gasp at the kitchen. It was a cross between modern, and traditional, and had sliding doors that led into a patio, and a small, walled off garden. It was very open, and light, with one large fridge, and one smaller one.  
"We'll use that one for drinks," Kankurou said, heading over to the smaller one, "Just put all the food onto the counter and I'll deal with it."  
"Wouldn't it be easier if we all helped?"  
"No. If you're all helping, you'll put things all over the damn place, and I won't be able to find what I need. I'll do it."  
Sakura huffed, and put her bags down heavily, "Fine. We have a party to set up. Have fun, the food has to be ready by..." she looked to the clock on the wall, "An hour from now," she smiled at him, and he glared.  
Everyone with food left it on the counter, and left to either set up the party, or put away the other things they'd bought. Kiba, who had had nothing else, stayed where he was, watching as Kankurou opened one fridge, and started loading it with milk, juice, and other such things.  
"What the hell is that all about?" he asked after waiting for him to finish with the drinks, not able to stop the grin that crept onto his face.  
"What are you talking about?" Kankurou grumbled, shutting the fridge with his foot.  
"This sudden…unfriendliness towards Sakura."  
Kankurou said, shaking his head, "I'm not going to put the well being of my…myself into the hands of a twelve year old girl who thinks that because her mummy showed her how to chop some veggies, she's a master chef."  
"And…a fourteen year old boy is a better bet?"  
Kankurou sighed, "I _know_ how to cook."  
Kiba just chuckled, looking into one of the bags, while Akamaru nosed in the direction of the patio.  
"You don't believe me?"  
"Not really."  
"Alright. What is something you want me to make for you?" Kankurou said, starting to load stuff into the bigger fridge, "Anything at all. I'll make you a special dish," he said it rather sarcastically, but Kiba looked at him thoughtfully.  
"Pork chops."  
"Pork chops? That's all? No cheesecake, nothing like that?"  
"Nope. I want pork chops. And because it's easier than cheesecake, it better be amazing."  
Kankurou blinked, then smirked, "Fine. But, if its amazing, and I'll know if you think it is," he stepped towards Kiba, leering, and make the younger boy lean away, eyes wide, "You will be my dishwasher for a week."  
Kiba gulped at the wicked grin on Kankurou's face, but nodded slowly, "Alright. Fine. I'll wash all the dishes if you make the most perfect pork chops I've ever tasted."  
"I'll put the dishcloths out for you," Kankurou said, smiling, "Now, leave me so I can create," he said, waving his hand in a pompous way. Kiba couldn't help but grin, even if he now had a feeling of impending doom. He got a warm feeling in his stomach when he and Kankurou got along like this. He felt proud because he never saw Kankurou act silly with other people.  
"When will the food be ready, really? I mean, ignoring Sakura."  
"Nah, I can get it done in an hour, we don't need a big meal for a party. Your pork chops will take the longest time to make."  
"Ok. If you need help…" Kiba didn't bother to finish, or wait for an answer, because he could tell Kankurou wouldn't ask for help. He just left, moving over to the others who were dressing up the dining room.


	2. Misunderstanding

**Misunderstanding**

Kiba was able to distract himself by helping the others set up for their little celebration. When they were done, and it had been surprisingly difficult for them to concentrate, they all stood around, admiring their hard work. There was a banner over the door, that read 'Welcome' and Naruto, Kiba, and Lee had gone all out with the streamers and balloons, despite the protests about it not being a birthday party.  
"This looks awesome," Kiba said, putting his hands on his hips and grinning at Naruto, who nodded and grinned back, rubbing at his cheek.  
Sakura looked at them and sighed, but seemed to give up on arguing with them.  
"Oh, come on Sakura. Look how festive it is!"  
She gave him a look, but it turned into a smile, and she moved to straighten the tablecloth, glancing at the clock, then to the kitchen door for the hundredth time. Kiba looked over too, sniffing lightly then perking up. Whatever he was smelling, it smelt great!  
"I hope he's done soon."  
"I hope so too, an hours nearly up," Sakura said stiffly. Kiba knew she was hoping Kankurou wouldn't be done in time. There'd be no consequences, but it would be a personal victory for her.  
Almost as soon as they'd said it, the door opened, and Kankurou came out pulling a wheeled tray that was overflowing with snacks and drinks. As he went passed them, to the table, he smirked at Sakura, who just tensed up, and moved to sit down heavily. Kiba followed after him eagerly, eyeing up all the treats that were there, and reached out.  
"Don't touch, or you get nothing."  
"Aw, come on, hurry up. We're hungry."  
Kankurou just shook his head, and started putting the food on the table, as everyone sat down. It was eerie how everyone who hadn't already been there seemed to show up as the food appeared. Kiba hurried to his seat and sat down as Sakura stood up to say something. People had started to reach for food, but they stopped and looked to her.  
"I know all of us are still a little confused about why we're here, but we might as well make the most of living together, and have fun while we still can. Of course, some of us will be busier than others," she glanced to Kankurou, who stopped in the middle of reaching for his drink, to frown at her, "But still, we get a whole week off! And we have this place to ourselves. I don't know about the rest of you, but this is the first time in ages where I'm going to be able to do what I want. So, I'm glad I get to spend this week, and the next few months, with you guys."  
"You know, this isn't some formal dinner," Kankurou growled out, "This is nice and all, but lets eat."  
Sakura glared, and sat down, looking like she wanted to plant a fork in Kankurou's eye. There was a moment of awkward silence, then everyone dug in, and Kankurou looked to Kiba expectantly, gesturing to the pork chops that he'd put in front of the other boy.  
Kiba bit his lip and looked down at the dish, looking nervous. It smelt fantastic. It was making his mouth water. He picked up his knife and fork, and hesitated, before cutting himself a piece. He lifted it to his mouth, swallowed then popped it in. He whined before he could stop himself, feeling like he was going to melt right into his seat. It was absolutely, mouth-wateringly, amazingly delicious, and he failed at trying to hide it. He knew that from the way that Kankurou grinned at him, one eye squinted shut, the other fixed on him. Kiba just mumbled to himself, and kept eating, keeping his eyes on his plate. He was not looking forward to washing those dishes.

For the first few minutes, they all focused on their eating, but before long, the topic of why they were there came up, along with their new living conditions.  
"I went to look at the girls' bedrooms," Naruto said, after swallowing his mouthful, "They're SO much bigger than ours!"  
"They're the same size, idiot!" Ino retorted, screwing her nose up at him, "Don't be so stupid. Why would they make them different sizes?"  
Naruto opened his mouth to argue, but Ino cut him off, "Besides, you guys have two bathrooms, we only have one! Where the other one is supposed to be is just a storage closet."  
"There IS more of us, Ino," Shikamaru pointed out, shrugging a little, "It makes sense. There's only five of you, and, what…nine of us?"  
"I'm just saying, if our bedrooms ARE a little bit bigger, its only because we don't have a second bathroom."  
"What's in the other three stories?" Kiba cut in, frowning slightly and gesturing in the direction of the courtyard."  
Sakura cleared her throat, "When this place is more official, that's going to be the…business part of the building. For meetings, and things like that."  
"And they need that much room?"  
"There's going to be a lot more people here than just us."  
"Ah. Are we allowed in there?"  
"I don't think there's actually anything of interest there yet," Sakura said, frowning, and looking at him curiously, "Why?"  
"No reason. No need for me to go there if there's nothing interesting." He was hoping to go exploring if he could sleep again tonight.  
"Even though we have all this freedom, I can't think of anything we can really do for a week," Temari spoke up, sighing, "It'll be fine for a few days, but don't you think we'll get a little stir crazy after awhile? Planting that garden isn't gonna take me that long…"  
"Well, we can leave any time we want for this week, I guess, and that'll be half the fun in it! Finding out…what…there is to do…" Sakura trailed off, looking down at her plate, "Ok, so it's not THAT great out here, but you never know what we'll find out in the forest, right?"  
"It could be fun I guess…" Naruto said uncertainly, "There obviously wasn't anything to do in that town…there might be caves and things out there!" He grinned, giving Sakura what he thought was an encouraging look. She just rolled her eyes and picked at what little food she had left on her plate.  
Kiba looked from them, having been concentrating on their conversation, but now diverting his attention to the boy across from him. Kankurou didn't seem at all interested in what they were saying, and was, instead, leaning back and putting a hand on his stomach, having just finished all his food.  
"How're you liking this place so far?" Kiba asked, and Kankurou looked to him, raising his eyebrows curiously.  
"Talking to me?"  
"Yeah."  
Kankurou seemed to think about it for a second, leaning forward, and giving Kiba one of his lazy, attitude-filled smiles, resting his arms on the table. Kiba shuffled his chair forward, so he wouldn't have to talk over anyone else.  
"The weather sucks, but overall, its actually not that bad. I wasn't happy about it at first, I reckon I'll be unhappy again before long, but right now, it's alright," Kankurou said, shrugging, and putting his chin in his hand, "My beds really comfy, at least."  
"Yeah? Mine isn't. Its not the same as my one at home."  
Kankurou nodded a little, "Getting homesick, huh?"  
Kiba looked awkward for a moment, making a noise that didn't really commit to any kind of answer. Kankurou just chuckled, and took a sip of his drink.  
"I understand, I'd like to be at home too."  
Kiba watched him for a minute, then sat back, "I'm done eating," he said, standing up and stretching, "I'm gonna go take Akamaru for a walk," he looked to Kankurou, hesitated, then bit his lip and added, "You want to come, Kankurou? Akamaru is fond of you."  
Kankurou laughed, and stood up, "Well, if Akamaru wants me too."  
Kiba was pleased by the look on Kankurou's face, as the older boy grinned at Akamaru, whose little tail was thumping against Kiba's stomach.  
Kankurou stood up too, and nobody seemed to pay them any mind, all distracted by the remaining food, and their conversations. Ino and Naruto had already started arguing again, and Kiba didn't want to stop and listen to whatever Lee was ranting about. Kiba took a moment to look them all over as he moved away from the table. They all seemed so pleased to be here. Well…the ones that would show that kind of emotion. Shino and Gaara's faces were as stoic as ever, but Gaara's eyes were wide and oddly curious as he looked from person to person. Very different from how Kiba remembered him.  
Kankurou was heading for the door, so Kiba followed after him, letting Akamaru wiggle out of his coat, and push off Kiba's chest to land on the floor. The little dog trotted just ahead of the two boys, leading the way to the front door, his tail wagging madly.  
"I've always wanted a pet of my own," Kankurou said out of nowhere, sounding almost contemplative, "I'm more of a cat person, though."  
"I can tell."  
Kankurou blinked, and looked to Kiba, not sure of what he meant.  
"Haven't you noticed how much you resemble one?" Kiba asked, cocking an eyebrow.  
Kankurou frowned and shook his head slowly, eyes narrowed, trying to comprehend what Kiba was going on about.  
"Well…your hat for one. And not so much this design on your face now, but the first one you had on reminded me so much of a cat. A scary, mean cat."  
Kankurou still looked confused, but he laughed and shook his head, "If you say so, man. I'm not MEANT to look like a cat. I don't think I am, at least."  
"What's with the get-up, anyway? I mean, we've all accepted how…unique you are," Kiba paused as Kankurou started laughing, "But I'm still curious about what its all for."  
"Well…the face paint and my clothes aren't actually related," Kankurou stopped for a moment to think, as they stepped outside, "My clothes are more influenced by the puppetry thing. Dark clothes make it easier to hide when I'm fighting, stuff like that. And my face paint…" He seemed to hesitate for a few moments, frowning, "Kabuki theatre is popular in my village, and I'm…"  
Kiba chuckled and looked expectant, "You're what?"  
"I'm an actor."  
Kiba's eyes went wide, and he stopped, staring at Kankurou, "You're an actor?"  
"…yeah."  
"Damn."  
Kankurou breathed out heavily, frowning, and started walking again, following after Akamaru, "I'd tell you to laugh and get it out of your system, but I'd probably just beat you if you did."  
"I'm not gonna laugh. That's kind of impressive, actually."  
Kankurou didn't stop walking, but he did glance at Kiba with a confused frown, "That's open-minded of you. Theatre doesn't seem big here."  
"That just makes actors a bigger deal here."  
"Then don't fucking tell anyone," Kankurou said, not sounding pleased by the thought of being a big deal, "I don't like that kind of attention."  
Kiba laughed, and nodded, putting his hands in his pockets as they stepped through the front gates, and turned onto the road, with Akamaru bounding ahead of them, sniffing at everything that drew his interest.  
"So…what kind of roles do you play?"  
"I'm usually lead," Kankurou replied, and Kiba could tell he was getting a little irritated by all the questions, "Can we talk about something else? I devote so much time to the stage arts when I'm at home, I just want to…forget it for a bit."  
"Why? Don't you like it?"  
"Of course I like it, I wouldn't do it if I didn't, but that's not the point."  
Kiba went to speak, and Kankurou held up a hand, "Enough."  
"Fine."  
They continued to walk in silence for a few more minutes then Kiba couldn't hold it in anymore, "I heard that Kabuki performers were also prostitutes. Even the guys."  
"Why am I not surprised that you've heard that?" Kankurou replied, pinching the bridge of his nose, and frowning, "Its not like that anymore."  
"But it could be, right?"  
"We leave that kind of thing to the low class theatres," Kankurou growled, giving Kiba a look, which softened after a moment, "Though…some of the people at the theatre I act in, and don't mention this around my siblings, but you'd think they WERE prostitutes, the way they act. They're big on orgies. And I don't mean to sound sexist, but the women especially. Most of them aren't married, or involved, so they sleep with the stagehands. You see things backstage that you'd expect to see in a very open-minded whorehouse."  
"…really?"  
"No, not really, now don't bring it up again."  
Kiba grumbled, looking down at his feet for a moment. Kankurou was so…blunt, and rude. Kiba was still reeling over the fact that he'd sworn earlier. He didn't hear talk like that often. Sure, his mother swore, but she tried not to if she knew Kiba could hear her. He glanced at him, then to Akamaru.  
"Still…theatre seems like a shifty business. I can see them doing shit like that."  
He tried not to choke on the word. He wasn't one to swear often, unless he'd hurt himself, but he found himself wanting to impress the older boy.  
"I suppose. A lot of the…cheaper, dirtier places do stuff like that," he said, screwing his nose up a little, "Then again, those are usually in the same district as the brothels, and the corners were all the sluts and drug addicts earn their money."  
"You have a place like that in Suna?" Kiba was quite surprised by this. He'd heard of them in the bigger towns and cities, but out in the middle of the desert?  
Kankurou seemed to realize why he was confused, and grinned, "It gets lonely out there. And Suna was never the bright and happy place that Konoha is. We're poor, on a whole. There's people who are well off, but as a group, the village is poorer than most. So, that's the only way some people can make money. And the weird thing is, the whores that also act, are usually respectable women during the day, with husbands, and children."  
Kiba frowned, "So, you wouldn't be able to tell who's a prostitute."  
"Nope. Even if it happens a lot, it's still considered shameful and disgusting. Someone is pushing to make it illegal, actually."  
"Who?"  
"I don't fucking know, I don't get involved with politics. Just saying, the people in Suna are proud, and have high standards, even if the ninjas and whores are the usually only ones with a steady income."  
Kiba frowned at the way Kankurou grinned as he said that. He had a feeling he was exaggerating a little, to sound meaner. Or he didn't even realize how mean he was sounding, which would explain a lot. If Suna people were proud with high standards, Kankurou seemed to be proving it, even if he was being subtle.  
"And these people, prostitutes, they're considered lower than everyone else?"  
"Yeah? They're whores. Have you ever met one?"  
"No."  
"Then you don't know the things they'll stoop to."  
Kiba frowned more, and watched Kankurou, trying to decide if his next question was a good idea.  
"Have _you _met one?"  
Kankurou just looked at him, then got a confused look on his face, "I…no."  
Kiba bit his lip, "I'm not trying to accuse you of anything. I'm just saying, it sounds like you're telling me what you've been told by people, because you're…you know…higher up than them."  
The puppeteer didn't reply, just looked forward and frowned. Kiba bit his lip, and looked forward too, feeling oppressed by the awkward silence that settled between them. They walked, and walked, until they could see one of the villages. It seemed bigger than the one they'd bought their groceries from; they could even hear the muffled noises from the top of the hill they stood on.  
"Want to rest?" Kankurou asked, sounding uncertain.  
Kiba jumped on the fact that Kankurou had spoken first, and replied eagerly, nodding, and leading the way over a log that sat by the side of the road.  
"Akamaru!" he called to the dog, who had gone a little way down the other side of the hill, "Come back, we're not going that way."  
Akamaru bounded up to them, tongue flopping out of his mouth, and little legs working hard to carry him back up to Kiba, as he yapped and barked whatever reply he was giving.  
Kankurou took a seat beside Kiba, putting his elbows on his knees, and watching as the little dog leapt into Kiba's lap and sat there, panting lightly, and wagging his tail.  
"I didn't realize I sounded like that," Kankurou mumbled, looking down at his hands as he played with his fingers. Kiba was confused, at first, then he caught on, and shifted a bit, clearing his throat.  
"If that's what you were always told, then that's what you're going to believe, right? And nobody said you were wrong. Prostitution sounds just as shifty as backstage at a theatre."  
"We don't whore ourselves-"  
"I know, I'm just saying. Why is it so touchy for you?"  
Kankurou sighed, and scratched the back of his head through his hat, "I don't know. A lot of them actually ARE like that. They don't get paid for it, they don't need to, but they're…promiscuous. Comes with the job, I guess."  
"And you're not like that?"  
Kankurou's head snapped up, and he looked disgusted, "Why would I be like that?!"  
Kiba was stunned by his reaction. What was wrong with getting in bed with a lot of women? Kankurou's eyes narrowed, and Kiba leant away slightly.  
"You think I'm like that? Because I'm an actor?"  
"Like…what? Are we talking about the same thing?"  
"Don't you fucking _dare_ accuse me of being like those…those…" he let out a loud, frustrated noise, and stood up. Kiba followed him, holding onto Akamaru.  
"I don't know what I accused you of being like! I wasn't calling you a whore or anything!"  
Kankurou just glared at him, and moved his hand as if to adjust something. He froze, eyes wide, and he put his hands on his chest.  
"Shit!"  
"What?"  
"I forgot my fucking puppets!"

Kiba wouldn't sugar coat it, the walk back was tense, even after Kiba managed to convince Kankurou that he wasn't insulting him. Kankurou seemed uncomfortable, and irritated, even while they were talking about other things, and Kiba couldn't figure out why. He didn't want to ask, out of fear of making Kankurou angry again. He wasn't scared of being beat up, he had enough confidence in himself to think he'd hold his own, but he just didn't like it when he upset the Suna boy. Their friendship was still fresh, and he didn't want to damage it so early on.  
"Look, we're nearly back. Bet you felt naked without your puppets on your back."  
"A little bit. Vulnerable is a better word. I rely on them a lot."  
"I'm the same way with Akamaru. I'm half the fighter without him," he said, smiling affectionately down at his furry little friend, who barked his agreement.  
"Well, most of your attacks involve him. It's the same with me. Well…actually, ALL of my attacks, but still."  
Kiba nodded, staring at him then, out of the blue, asked a question he guessed Kankurou wasn't expecting, "What color is your hair?"  
Kankurou looked at him, mouth set as a confused angle, a slight frown back in place, "What?"  
"Your hair. I've never seen it, what color is it? Is it long?"  
"Well…I do need a haircut, I guess," he said, tugging at his hat. Then, when he saw Kiba's eager look, he sighed, and pulled it off.  
"Wow. Brown? That's the big reveal?" Kiba laughed, grinning, "I was expecting it to be redder. Or blond. You do need a trim though, it's in your face now."  
"Precisely the reason I wear a hat," Kankurou said, shaking his head a little, "Its not passed my neck, at least."  
"It's messy. Kinda suits you, actually."  
"Why the fuck are we talking about my hair?" Kankurou pulled the hat back on, looking a bit embarrassed, and they stepped through the front door again, "I'm going to go clean Karasu, I'll talk to you later."  
Kiba watched as Kankurou strolled across the entranceway, and disappeared into the courtyard. He sighed, and looked at Akamaru, "That was awkward. I wonder why he got so worked up."  
Akamaru just whined and tilted his head, and Kiba shrugged, "I dunno. Doesn't matter, I guess. Lets go find Shino, I feel like sparring."


End file.
